The Last Days of Life
by davy83815
Summary: Major changes coming, dont bother reading.
1. Chapter 1

This is the first piece of Fanfiction I have ever written. I was trying to take a nap, and I couldn't get this damn idea out of my head, so I sat down and pounded it out. I have no idea if I will continue this story, as I have no ideal if I actually like doing this yet. It has been a long time since I have written anything for fun, and I have never been accused of being a good writer. Constructive criticism appreciated.

"Harry, love, come on, you need to get up."

With a blink Harry Potter's unfocused and glazed over eyes snapped back into focus, well, as focused as they would get without his glasses on. He had been laying in bed for four days now, ever since he had arrived back at Pivit Drive from Kings Cross station. When the Dursleys had picked him up from at the station, he noticed the Vernons new car was already stuffed full of luggage. He had been forced to release Hedwig and strap him trunk and the owl cadge to the roof of the car for the trip back to him 'home'. When the arrived back at Pivit Drive, Harry was mildly surprised to to see that the Dursleys didn't leap out of the car and stampede into the house in an effort to get away from him. Instead, Vernon twisted around in his seat and quite plainly told Harry that they wanted absolutely nothing to do with him and therefor would be taking a vacation starting that second, and wouldn't be back until mid August. Harry was also warned, in no uncertain terms, that if anything happened to the house he would be hunted down and castrated.

As soon as Harry got his luggage of the top of the car, Harry's Uncle smashed the cars gas peddle, ripping out of the driveway and down the block, leaving only two smoking strips of rubber on the pavement and a 100 pound note clenched in Harry's fist. His food budget for the summer.

Harry drug his trunk and owl cage up to the front door, only to find it locked, and dead bolted. He smirked slightly and a small giggle escaped his lips. Leaving his trunk on the front steps, Harry made his way around to the back door, only to find that it was locked as well, the spare key kept under the mat missing. Harry slumped down against the door and began to laugh. Hysterically. He laughed over the Dursleys; locking him out of the house, the 100 pounds they gave him to feed himself for a summer, the years of physical and mental abuse he suffered under their care, they were his 'family'. He laughed over the prophecy; he would never beat Voldemort in a duel, the way Dumbledor told him half an hour after the death of his godfather, and the destruction of the headmasters office that followed. Harry laughed over the death of his godfather; the foolish acts that lead to his death, their supposed relationship, Kreacher, Bellatrix and the failed Cruciatus curse, and the irony of it all. Harry laughed about his life, it seemed as if some higher power found it amusing to make him as miserable as possible, and he found it to be absolutely hilarious.

The chilling laughter that rang throughout the neighborhood slowly died out, leaving an exhausted young man laying on the back porch trying to catch his breath and wiping a few tears of mirth from his eyes. He eventually managed to stand up. Pulling his shirt off, he wrapped it around his hand and punched out a window in the back door, enabling him to reach in and unlock the door. Deciding that he was hungry, Harry promptly emptied the fridges contents onto the kitchen table and stuffed himself until he felt like puking. "First decent meal I've ever had here" he muttered to himself as he ascended the stairs to his room. After kicking his door open the exhausted young man lay down on his bed and fell into a deep and mercifully, dreamless, sleep.

That was three days ago now, and Harry had let to leave his bed for anything other than bathroom breaks and a bit of water. He needed time to think. His godfather, Sirius, had died for him. Why? Harry's conversations with his godfather probably totaled up to less than two hours in length. They hardly even new each other. So why did it seem like they had such a strong bond? It was not hard to figure that part out. Sirius was the only father figure Harry had ever had and Harry was Sirius last link to James. Harry realized Sirius may have even gone to the ministry that night with the intent to die during battle, in some attempt to atone for his mistakes 15 years ago. Why else would he so foolishly duel on the steps in front of the veil? Surly he knew what it was and did.

Those thoughts and others had led him to the present time. 'Curves, pink hair, Tonks.' he thought to himself, but made no effort to comply with her wish for him to stand.

"Harry. Harry! Come on guy, time to get up. You've been laying on this bed for four days, its time to move."

'Bossy witch.' thought Harry as Tonks grabbed his legs and slid them over the edge of the bed. Grabbing two fist full of the shirt he was wearing she heaved him to his feet. The blood-rush from his head was enough to make him loose his balance and Tonks wound up dragging him across the hall to the bathroom.

"What the hell do you think you are doing Harry? Laying around like that for four days. Have you even eaten? It sure as hell doesn't look like it! Sit down!" she said, shoving him to a seat on top of the toilet. "You're taking a bath, you smell like shit."

Harry smirked a bit, "Thanks, I think."

"Look! It talks!" she growled, shoving his glasses into his chest. As Tonks began drawing the bath Harry slid his glasses into place. Yes, this was definitely Tonks. Light pink hair fell in front of her face as she filled the bath, and her bottom swayed rather pleasantly about a foot from his face as she worked the tap. Harry gave it a very appreciative glance before she turned around.

"Stand up" Harry stood. "Arms above your head" After Harry raised his arms Tonks grabbed his shirt, bending him over and tugging it off before he could protest. When she began to unbutton his pants Harry attempted to jump back in shock, but she already hand a firm grip on his waistline and he didn't get far.

"uh... Tonks? What are you doing?"

If you going to act like a baby, I will treat you like one. That includes feeding you, bathing you, and dressing you." With that said she jerked his zipper down and pulled both his pants and boxers down, leaving a very naked Harry Potter standing in front of her. 'Thats a rather interesting shade of red.' she though. And Harry's face was, in fact, a rather interesting shade of red once he realized what had just happened.

Tonks gave him an appreciative glance up and down, and in a feeble attempt to preserve his modesty Harry grabbed the nearest towel in attempted to cover himself. Unfortunately, it was a washcloth, which did not leave much to the imagination. A slight smile crossed her lips.

"Merlin, Harry. Not to bad for a skinny little shrimp."

"Wha-What!"

"Nothing to be angry about love, now get in the tub." replied Tonks as she pushed him towards the bath.

After seating himself in the tub, Harry looked up and was rather surprised to find that Tonks was still in the bathroom, and still watching him. Tonks, having thought that Harry's face couldn't possibly turn more red, was pleasantly surprised when it did.

"Uh... Do you think I could have some privacy?"

"Nope." Replied Tonks as she threw a washcloth into the tub with him. "Start scrubbing Harry."

As Harry lowered his head in embarrassment and began to clean himself, Tonks took the opportunity to study him carefully. 'Merlin, he looks like shit. So pale, and skinny. I can almost count his rips!'

At that moment Harry looked up, locking eyes with her. Nymphadora's breath hitched when she examined his eyes. Gone were the bright, vibrant eyes that she knew and loved. Replacing them were cold, dead, emotionless eyes that seemed to fill her very soul with sadness. After a minute of staring into each-others eyes, Harry spoke.

"I am sorry Nymphadora."

"Harry, don't. No one blames you for what happened to Sirius..."

"No, not that. Well yes, that too. But thats not what I am talking about. I know I'm not to blame for his death, well, not for the most part anyways. He went to the ministry knowing that he would die. No Nymphadora, I am sorry that I will fail you, I am sorry that you will die." Tonks gasped. "I am sorry that you, and the few other people I care about will die at Voldemort's hand. Im sorry that you and others will be tortured simply so _he _can make me suffer. Im sorry that I am dying, and there is nothing I can do to stop it, or _him. _ Have you ever seem your life force, Tonks?" Harry's eyes stayed locked on hers. "I have, its one of the things I saw while laying in that bed. He is draining me, through our connection. My magic is fighting it, but as long as he is more powerful than I, he will continue to drain, slowly but surely." Harry let out a bitter laugh. "It took me a year to notice. Im sorry Nymphadora, when you leave it will hurt me the most." Those eyes...

Tonks, eyes moist with tears, gasped out "No, its not true... It cant happen, I wont let it. I wont let you die, Harry Potter. And I wont leave you!" She broke down in sobs, burying her face into her hands.

Harry gave her a brief, sad smile. No longer caring that he was naked, Harry got out of the tub, wrapped Tonks in her arms, and allowed her to cry into his chest. "No, I wont let it happen, not like that!" She screamed into his chest, struggling to break free. Harry held her until she stopped struggling, and they sank to the floor together. Harry held her as she sobbed into his chest for what seemed like hours, crying for all her fears, the war, Sirius, and Harry. Another sad smile playing across his lips as her ragged breaths slowly became deeper and smoother.

"I'm sorry."


	2. Chapter 2

I caught a few silly mistakes in the last chapter after I posted it, its amazing how blind you can be to your own work. A case of reading what I thought was there rather than what was actually on the page. I am certain that wont be the last time. I wrote this chapter fairly quickly just because I wanted to solidify a couple things that I want to have happen in the story. Right now I am just flying by the seat of my pants, but I do have a few ideas for the future. I am still not sure if writing fanfiction is something that will hold my attention for long, but I am enjoying it as of this moment. I certainly would consider some suggestions for the future and constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Thanks goes out to my first reviewer- suspencer

PS- I do not own Harry Potter, nor was I the one to screw up the sixth book. Don't blame me.

"bleh" talk

'_bleh _ thoughts

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"Harry, what you said, its not true, is it?"

"I'm afraid that it is."

Harry sat on the floor beneath the window, facing the door with Nymphadora's wand twirling idly in his hand. All he could see of her was the small gleam of her eyes, reflecting the pale moonlight spilling from the window. After she had fallen asleep, Harry had untangled himself and used her wand to levitate her onto his bedroom and on his bed. After putting on a pair of pants, her stole the comforter off his Aunt and Uncles bed, wrapping her in that rather than his pathetic excuse for a blanket. He then positioned himself on the floor, keeping watch over her as she slept. That was a full 12 hours ago now. Harry suspected that she had been having trouble sleeping lately, but that was hardly a startling revelation.

"How long?"

"Not sure, I haven't had much time to examine how fast he is draining me. Certainly no more than a year, less if he gets stronger. He is getting stronger."

"But so are you. Your 16th birthday is just a month away, you'll start your magical growth then."

"Yes, I suspect that I will become quite powerful, but I certainly wont grow to Voldemort's level. Even if I do, I am still no match for him. Not with the amount of experience he has. There was a prophesy made, the one he wanted in the DoM. It is about he and I."

"Tell me."

"You wont like it."

"I don't care, tell me"

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power that Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives"

"Dumbledore knew it, the whole time. It was made 17 years ago, in his presence. He told me after Sirius died." A small smile crossed Harry's lips. "I trashed his office that night."

"Harry, Harry you still have a chance! You can kill him! You can stop him. You don't have to die.…"

"Oh yes, I will try to kill him. He has taken too much, will take to much from me to not try. But I doubt I will succeed, not with just a year to do it. 10 months really, I suspect I will be bed ridden towards in the end. No, either he will kill me, or I will destroy him. It would be nice to win, I could move on after that. After all, what is death but the next great adventure?"

Tonks shifted slightly in the bed, sitting up a little. "What do you mean?"

Wand still twirling in his fingers, Harry said "Do you know that he possessed me at the MoM? He was scared. I could feel it, taste it, I felt as if I could grasp it in my hand. He was afraid of the love I have for others, a foreign concept to him. To destroy me, he will destroy those that I love. One by one, until I have nothing left. If it is any sort of consolation, I suspect that you will be last." Harry snorted "No, that not much consolation. If I fulfill the prophecy, there will be nothing left for me here, and I will gladly leave this world for the next. My duty will be done."

A few tears slide down Nymphadora's face as she unwrapped the comforter around her. Crossing the room, she kneeled in front of Harry and wrapped his hand in hers. Looking into his eyes she said "Harry James Potter, I promise you, I will never leave you. I will be by your side no matter what, and I will do everything in my power to help you destroy him. You **will** have something to live for when this war is over! I love you..." A warm breeze seemed to fill the room, but both occupants seemed oblivious. Magic seemed to flood their veins, and they both felt the bond as it formed and solidified. An oath.

'_Its not possible, I didn't say the incantation, I don't even have my wand' _

"Hardly impossible Nymphadora, just magic." Smiled Harry. His eyes suddenly shifted downwards and his head dropped. "I wont hold you to it, it was an accident after all..."

"No! No Harry, I meant every word I said." Tonks lifted his chin and looked into his eyes as she spoke. "I was just surprised."

Harry reached to her and pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly. "Thank you."


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Harry Potter, nor was I the one to screw up the sixth book. Don't blame me.

Thanks goes out to my reviewers, _Deadwilder_ and _cj_-_cold_, I appreciate your input.

_Harry reached to her and pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly. "Thank you."_

"Harry, when you said that it would hurt you the the most when I... died, what did you mean?" asked Tonks, sitting on her haunches in front of Harry and studying him closely.

"I meant exactly what I said. Nymphadora, if you were to die, I doubt I would have anything left to live for. You have always been there for me, for as long as I have known you. Last summer, you were the one person I could always count one to give me what I needed." Harry looked deeply into her eyes. "you gave me a chance to laugh, a few minutes without Voldemort and Cedric and Pettigrew. The few hours I spent in your company were the best times I had that summer. Thank you. Those few letters we exchanged over the school year were the one thing that kept me sane. Never once did you pump me for information like my so called friends, or push me to tell you something I didn't want to share. Those letters were my only respite at Hogwarts, my few moments of happiness in an otherwise miserable year. Even now, you here because to care about me, Harry. Not Harry Potter, not the bloody _boy-who-lived, _and defiantly not Dumbledore's weapon on mass destruction. Tell me, were you ordered to check up on me?"

"No"

"Exactly. You were the only person who thought to come see me, and help me, in my time of need.

Harry stood and took Nymphadora by the hand, leading her over to the bed and gestured with his hand "Have a seat." Harry began to pace the room.

"Harry, what's wrong?

"Do you know that one of your letters actually saved Umbridge's life?" Harry laughed "Yes, I was actually going to kill her, that's how low I had sunk." Harry was unconsciously rubbing his hand at this point, trying to ward away the memories of the Blood Quill. "It took me a month to make the poison, 23 tries, before I finally got it perfect. It was a thing of beauty, and I was set to use it the very day I received one of your letters. Dobby would have done it, you know, slipped it into her goblet at the evening meal. He would do anything for me. It would have thickened her blood until her heart could no longer pump it. She would have gone to bed that evening and never woken up, untraceable too." Tonks seemed at a loss for words, her mouth hanging open. Harry continued, still rubbing his hand "But your letter, it arrived that morning. I couldn't stand the thought of you ever finding out what I did. I couldn't bear to lose you because of what some stupid old hag did to me. You saved me from myself, again. Thank you." Harry gave out a barking laugh, turned, and looked at Tonks "Hardly something you would expect from the Gryffindor poster-boy, huh?"

Nymphadora, unable to think of anything else to say, saw that Harry was still rubbing his hand and blurted out, "Harry, what's wrong with your hand?"

"My hand? Oh, that." replied Harry, before hastily stuffing his hand into a pant pocket. "Nothing, just some bad memories, you know."

"Let me see." commanded Tonks. Grabbing the reluctantly proffered hand, she turned it over in her hands, examining it for any sign of injury. She was about to apologize for not believing him when she noticed a thin white line on the back of his hand, barely noticeable in the pale moonlight that still shown through the window. Turning his hand to catch more light, words began to from from the lines. "_I will not tell lies"_ A gasp escaped her lips, and she gave Harry a sad look. "Oh Harry, what have you been doing to yourself?"

Harry pulled his hand out of her grasp abruptly, "What have **I **been doing to myself? I haven't done a bloody thing! It was that hag Umbridge and her damn quill!"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that every-time I had detention with her, she made me write lines with that damned quill, and it carved the words into the back of my hand!"

"She used a Blood Quill on you!" screeched Tonks "I'll kill that bitch myself! Who else knows about this?"

"Just Hermione and Ron."

"Harry, why didn't you tell anybody? Blood Quills have been illegal torture devices for almost two centuries! Why didn't you go to Dumbledore?" asked Tonks.

"Dumbledore wouldn't even look at me! He locked me up in this hellhole for nearly the entire summer, forbid my so called friends from telling me what's happening, and then he wouldn't even look at me or talk to me! What the hell was I supposed to do!" Harry was enraged at this point, shouting and waving his arms. "I couldn't go to McGonagall or any other teacher, because that's exactly what Umbridge wanted me to do! McGonagall would have been fired if she tried to stop it, then where would I have been? I am not weak, and I don't need anybody's fucking pity! Not Dumbledore's, not McGonagall's, not anybody's!" With an exhausted sigh Harry sat down on the floor, under the window again.

"Do you feel better now?" queried Tonks in a stern voice.

"Yes" Harry heaved a couple of deep breaths and turned to meat Nymphadora's gaze. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, its not your fault, I know it isn't. Whenever I think about it, I just get so... _enraged. _I just want to break something. I feel like kicking something, hard. A house elf, I feel like kicking a house elf." Harry started to laugh "I feel like kicking a house elf, really hard, and right in the head. Like a football!" Now Harry was rolling on the floor, clutching his sides and trying to contain his laughter.

"Harry Potter, that is the most horrible thing I have ever heard, and..."

"I know, I know, but that's exactly what I feel like doing! Can you imagine it? An elf tumbling through the air going 'EEEEIIIIIIIIAAAAAA'?" Harry was unable to contain his mirth any longer and began rolling on the floor, clutching his sides and laughing hysterically.

Tonks snorted, trying to hide her amusement at the idea, but the sound only further drove Harry's uncontrollable laughs. "Quite done, Mr. Potter"

"Nu... nu... No!"

"Too bad" said Tonks, and with a complicated wave of her wand, Harry's laughter ceased.

"Spoil sport"

"Well, I glad your in a better mood now. Pack up your stuff Harry, we're leaving." said Nymphadora, standing up from the bed.

"Where are we going?" asked Harry, looking up at her.

"My place, for a couple of days at least. I need to put some things in order, then we will be leaving. Im not sure if we will stay in the country yet."

"What about the Order? And Dumbledore?"

"Fuck the Order Harry, and Dumbledore. If he knew the prophecy, then he has had years to prepare you for Voldemort, but he hasn't done a damn thing. If the Order wont give you what you need to survive this war, I will. Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix had lost both my respect and membership. I took an oath Harry, I told you that I would do everything in my power to help you defeat him, and that's what I'm doing. Now get packed." The finality of what she said and the matter-of-fact tone she used stopped any arguments Harry might have had. Jumping to his feet, Harry placed Hedwig's cage on top of his trunk and stood next to it.

"Done." He stated with a small smirk. "Its not really all that hard since I never unpacked."

"Good," Tonks smiled at him, pulling a plain silver ring off one of her fingers. Harry hadn't noticed it before, and figured that it must have been charmed to turn the same color as her skin. Which meant that it was probably a portkey. Holding it out, she said "Grab ahold Harry".

Harry grabbed onto the cage and his trunk before taking hold of the ring. Giving one last glance around the room, he turned to Nymphadora and nodded his head.

"Home sweet home" Was all that Harry heard before before he felt the standard, sickening pull at his navel that usually accompanied travel by portkey. They landed rather forcefully in Tonks living room, and Harry would have managed to stay upright for once, had Tonks clumsy nature not taken the opportunity to make it presence known. Immediately upon landing, Tonks stumbled full force into Harry, sending them both toppling over his trunk and onto the floor in a tangle of limbs. A very red-faced Tonks jumped to her feet and helped Harry up, apologizing the whole time.

"Merlin, Harry. I'm so sorry! I'm such a bloody klutz sometimes that I.…

"Tonks, relax. I'm fine." Replied Harry with a good natured smile. "If I spent as much time fiddling around with the length of my limbs as you do, I'd be a bloody klutz too. Besides, its not to often that I get to feel up a beautiful young woman such as yourself." He laughed.

"Liked that did you?" asked Tonks with an impish grin.

"Very much, let me know next time you plan on taking a portkey, I'll make sure to join you." Harry was happy to see that Nymphadora's face blushed a pleasant shade of pink.

"Yeah, well... uh, I'll make sure to do that."

"Good comeback Nymphadora." laughed Harry.

"Shut up, and don't call me Nymphadora! I HATE that name!" yelled Tonks, stomping her foot on the ground and giving Harry the strong impression of a small child that hasn't gotten her way.

"Nymphadora, why don't you want me to call you Nymphado.… ooph!" said Harry as he was tackled to the ground by Tonks. After a brief and very one-sided wrestling match, Tonks had Harry pinned face down on the carpet, his arms pinned behind his back. Tonks leaned over and growled into his ear.

"Don't call me Nymphadora!"

"I'll have you know that I think Nymphadora is a beautiful name. How about a compromise?"

"What do you mean?"

"How about Nymph? OWWW...Ok, maybe not. Dora it is."

"Fine!" snapped Tonks, getting up off Harry's back and releasing his arms.

"Why Nymphadora, I never knew you could knit!" exclaimed Harry as his arm snaked under the couch he was laying by to grab something. He pulled out a small, triangular, piece of fabric with a string attached to each corner. "Oh, you must not be very good yet." said a smiling Harry Potter as he held up a very small piece of g-string underwear. "Don't worry, a little more practice and you'll get it, I'm sure."

"I don't knit.… Argh! Harry Potter!" A very embarrassed Auror snatched the underwear out of his hands and stomped off to what Harry guessed was her bedroom. It sounded like she stubbed her toe on the way, judging by the sounds coming from her room. A long and very colorful string of expletives floated down the hallways, along with the slight shaking of the floor and thumping noises that usually accompany someone who is hopping on one foot.

"My goodness Nymphadora, did they teach you to speak like that at Auror academy as well?" called Harry.

"Fuck you Potter!"

Harry grinned in a very evil manner. Oh yes, this was going to be a good summer.

So, should Harry and Tonks leave the country? Where too? We saw a darker side of Harry this chapter, that's not the last of it, and he also explained some of his feelings for Tonks. She will probably do the same next chapter. The letters between Harry and Nymphadora are AU, actually the whole story is AU since that sixth book, but I refuse to recognize the fact that _that _book was ever written. I needed a better basis for a relationship than the books gave me, so they wrote letters to each other. Assume that they are comfortable around each other and are good friends. I love the idea of kicking a house elf in the head, just like I love the idea of hitting a Chihuahua in the head with a golf club, preferably a driver. 'Sit, sit, stay. Good boy, staaayyyy, MECH! (that's the sound of a driver hit a chihuahua in the head). Anyways, let me know that you think, constructive criticism is appreciated, and feel free to share any ideas that you may have. I never realized just how few people give reviews until I wrote this story. Its probably because the story is still so short and relatively unknown, but I still had 1200 hits before I got my third review. Needless at say, I will be making a greater effort to give reviews to the stories I read in the future. I do not write for reviews, I write because I enjoy it, but it is nice to see what people think. I will never hold onto a chapter and threaten not for post it unless I get x amount of reviews. With that said, I think that the readers of this story will have a fairly large amount of control over what happens in it, and all you have to do is let me know your ideas and thoughts. So, will they leave the country? I have no idea yet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer- **I do not own Harry Potter, nor was I the one to screw up the sixth book. Don't blame me.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Harry took the opportunity to examine his surroundings. It was obvious that he was in a muggle apartment, it had two bedrooms, a bathroom, a small but well furnished kitchen, and a living room with a couch and tv. With the exception of the bathroom, the place was a mess. Empty food cartons and pizza boxes were scattered about the kitchen, and the whole apartment looked like a truck full of clothing had exploded inside it. Clearing a spot on the couch, Harry sat down and flicked on the TV while he waited for Tonks. After a few minutes of watching the the BBC she appeared in front of him dressed in a dark robe with an oversized hood, she held a small bag in her hand.

"I need to go to Knockturn Ally and pick up a few items. I will also make you a couple portkeys, but I cant be here when I do that. Its four a.m. right now, I should be back by seven at the latest. Don't leave this apartment. Period. When I get back, we'll make a trip to Gringotts so I can get my money out, then we will find a place to stay while you recover. I don't know after that.

Harry, slightly surprised at this new, serious, Tonks, asked "What do you mean, recover?"

"I'm going to get you in shape, you're skin and bones and I doubt its because of your connection to Voldemort. Right now, your body is simply not strong enough to channel your magic fully, it definately wont be strong enough after your birthday, and its certainly not strong enough to put up with the training I am going to put you through. We have one month to get you in shape for your magical growth, and that's not enough time, so your going to need several not-so-legal potions, and one very-illegal potion. Thats what the trip to Knockturn is for."

Harry looked flabbergasted. "Illegal potions? Aren't you an Auror? Why would I need potions like that anyways?"

"Because the legal options simply aren't strong enough. You will be taking several very potent nutrient potions and a potion that will help you put on some muscle, all of which contain some illegal ingredients. Your also going to be taking a potion to age your body by several years. It was outright banned after it was used in several high profile assassinations, and is highly deadly unless given in precise amounts. Hopefully when were done, you wont look like an anorexic 12 year old anymore." Tonks finished with a smirk.

"Hey! I resent that remark!"

"Well, its true. I want you to eat this," she said, handing him a small brown package from her bag. "Its an MRE, muggle soldiers eat them when they are out in the field. It'll taste like crap, but we need to get some quick weight on you, and these meals have about 3500 calories apiece, Merlin knows how much fat. I expect you to eat five of them today, and I want you to every single thing in the package. Got it?" Harry nodded rather dumbly. "Good, after you eat, try and get some rest, we're in for a long day." With that said, Nymphadora winked at him and disapparated with a pop, leaving a stunned Harry Potter staring at the spot where she standing a second ago. This was a side of Tonks he had never seen before, and he kind of liked it. She was cool and calm under pressure, someone he could count on to keep her, and his, head in a fight.

Harry settled once more onto the couch an cut open the bag containing the MRE. To his surprise, the beef stew wasn't half bad. However, the rest of the meal left much to be desired, particularly the bread loaf. Completely stuffed, Harry stretched out on the couch, using a pile of clothes as a pillow, and fell into an exhausted slumber. He had been up for a long time.

At 7:30, after concluding her business in Knockturn alley, Tonks apparated back into her bedroom. Making her way out into the living room to wake Harry and leave, she was surprised to find that he was nowhere in sight. A slight chill ran down her spine and her heart raced, "I told him not to leave" she hissed to herself. Unbeknownst to her, Harry was silently rising out for where he had been hiding under a pile of clothing behind her. He walked up behind her silently, and reached around and grasped her throat with one hand and pressed his wand into her back with the other. Tonks stiffened.

"Who occupies your least favorite portrait?" he asked her.

"Mrs. Black" squeaked Tonks. Turning around, she glared at Harry. "Paranoid much, Potter. Or should I say Moody?" she said while rubbing her throat.

Harry grinned and shook his head in the affirmative. "You can never be too safe Dora."

"Where were you hiding?"

Harry gestured to the pile of clothes, "Observe your environment and become part of it, the only rule of camouflage. I saw clothes, I became clothes. Any questions?" Asked Harry with a smirk.

"Smart ass" muttered Nymphadora. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him to the door, "Come on, we need to get to Gringotts and make another stop, then we're getting the hell out of Dodge."

"Dodge?"

"Its an old movie, come on."

When they stepped out of the building, Harry was surprised to see that they were only a few blocks away from the Leaky Cauldron. They set off at a brisk pace, both of them fingering their wand idly and casting glances around, watching for any sign of attack. As they neared the Leaky Cauldron, Tonks pulled out a Weird Sisters baseball cap and a dark robe out of her bag and handed them to Harry, who wordlessly put them on, pulling the cap low over his eyes. They managed to reach Gringotts without incident. Stepping up to one of the available tellers, Harry handed the Goblin his key and asked to make a withdrawal.

"Ah, Mr. Potter. Lord Snottrag, Gringotts London Branch Manager, has requested to see you upon your next visit. However, we did not expect to see you so soon. Please, follow me." finished the Goblin with a nasty grin. Harry glanced the Nymphadora, who shrugged, but brought her wand out anyway. Harry did the same. They walked side by side through the endless maze of corridors that made up the goblin offices. Gradually, the doors grew farther and farther apart, and the titles and names grew more ornate. They stopped in front of a large door, which had written on it "Lord Snottrag, Branch manager." Their escort ushered them into the office. Harry and Nymphadora were stunned by the sheer opulence of the room, but they were soon brought back to attention by the sound of a goblin clearing its throat. Sitting at the desk in front of them was an ancient looking goblin. He had a few strands of white hair on his head, which seemed to be sticking out at totally random angles. Poufs of white hair stuck out of each ear, and he sported a long white goatee. Squinting at them through his glasses, the wizened goblin spoke.

"Ah, Mr. Potter..." he paused, taking a long look at Tonks, "and Miss Tonks. I was not expecting you so soon. I am Snottrag, manager of this particular branch of Gringotts." he finished with a slight bow.

Harry, glad that Hermione took such good notes in history of magic, bowed deeply and addressed the goblin in the proper manner. "Master Snottrag, it is my pleasure to meet such an esteemed individual as yourself. I trust that I find you in good finance?"

Snottrag grinned, he was not often greeted in the formal manner by a human. Standing up again, he bowed back to Harry. "You find me in most comfortable finance, Mr. Potter. I must say, it has been many years since I have been addressed in such a respectful manner by a human."

"You will find that I am not like most wizards Master Snottrag, but please, I must insist that you called me Harry. May I ask why you have called me here?"

"Very well, Harry. I have asked you here for a number of reasons. We here at Gringotts have been watching you very closely for a number of years, and needless to say, we have been surprised by your actions numerous times. Your sense of right and wrong and views on equality are well known amongst the magical creatures of the world. It is also fairly obvious that you will lead this war against Voldemort. We goblins are not fools, despite what Wizard-kind thinks. If Voldemort were to win this war, sooner of later, we, along with every other magical creature would be enslaved, or hunted down and exterminated. Obviously, we do not want that to happen. We have been watching you closely, and have decided to, ahhh... help you along the road to victory." he finished with a smirk.

"How do you mean?" asked Harry with an arched eyebrow.

"Gringotts is going to invest in the future, Harry, by giving you access to several vast resources that you currently don't have. Namely money." he replied while pulling out a folder for under his desk. Placing a small golden key in front a Harry, he said "This key is to your new high security vault. The vault contains 50 million galleons, please use it wisely." He then handed Harry a folder, "This is everything you will need to survive in the muggle world, including a new identity and several bank accounts. In those accounts you will find 500 million U.S. dollars. I suggest you use that wisely as well. In that folder you will also find a list of properties that Gringotts owns throughout the world. We are prepared to loan you the use of any of those locations." To say that Harry and Nymphadora were shocked would be the understatement of the year. Both of their mouths were hanging wide open as they stared at the ancient goblin in wonder. Harry pulled himself together first and closed hist jaw with an audible snap.

"Tha- Thank you very much Master Snottrag." stammered Harry as he stood and bowed deeply. 'I cant believe this, this is exactly what we needed' he thought, before bringing his attention back to the matter at hand. "Your contributions are much appreciated. You have my deepest gratitude."

"We do have one request Harry"

"Name it"

You can tell no-one where you received any of these 'contributions'. While Gringotts supports you, we have no wish for the rest of the world to know of our involvement. We Goblins must appear neutral. Do you understand?"

"Absolutely" replied Harry.

"Now, we have one last matter to clear up. It has come to our attention that one Sirius Orion Black has recently died, and with his passing he has appointed you as head of the Black family" remarked the goblin while placing a small box in front of Harry. "When a minor is appointed as head of a family, they are automatically emancipated. Now that you are emancipated, you can take control of the Potter estate as well." Snottrag opened the box in front of Harry, it contained both the Potter and Black family rings. "If you will just put these on, we can move on." Harry reached into the box and tentatively pulled out both rings. As he slid the rings onto his fingers, both glowed a muted white for a few seconds before fading. Harry looked mildly surprised.

"Is that it?" he asked.

"Indeed it is."

"Well that was rather disappointing, don't you think Dora?" asked Harry, turning to smirk at her. To his surprise she was looking very solum and sad. Realizing that she must be upset about Sirius, he grasped her hand a gave it a small squeeze, whispering to her, "Just a few more minutes, then we can take a break, ok?" Tonks nodded her head in the affirmative, and Harry, still holding her hand, turned back to Snottrag, attempting to conclude their business. "Is there anything else, Master Snottrag?"

"One last thing, Harry. We have taken the liberty of collecting several objects and tomes from both the Potter and Black vaults that we believe will come in handy on your journey. I suggest you take a close look at the contents and put them to good use." he said, while gesturing to large but plain trunk that was set next to the door.

Harry stood, pulling Nymphadora up with him. He once again bowed deeply, "Thank you very much Master Snottrag. May gold fill your coffers."

Snottrag also stood and bowed just as deeply to Harry, "It is my pleasure Mr. Potter. May gold fill your coffers."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Ok, this chapter definitely isn't as good as I would like it to be, but it was a tough chapter to write. I'm glad I was able to get a somewhat original idea up, believe me, that's not the last of them. I wanted to get this out before I leave for vacation, which is tomorrow morning by the way. Next week I leave for collage, which is always a pain in the ass, so I don't know how long it will be before I can update again. I would like to thank all my reviewers, and a few people in particular for giving me some great ideas and helpful comments. Everyone really came through when I asked for input, so **thank you!**

**Marka- **Thank you for the ideas, I really like Harry and Tonks in Africa. Harry will be undergoing several dark rituals in this story. Tonks has her own ideas on magical dueling and will be training Harry in them. I really wish I could comment more, but that would give away the story. I think you will like what I do ☺

**cj-cold- **Harry is only going to get darker as the story goes on. Harry new exactly what he was doing when he kept calling her Nymphadora, he was doing it to get under her skin.

**jollander- **Harry say Nymphadora a lot to get under her skin. It annoys her, and he knows it. It is also a term of endearment. But maybe I do take it too far.

**AzureSky123-** I think Harry is gonna get smart, not stupidly brave. He is also likely to lose his hero complex.

**Treck-** I completely agree with your assessment of Dumbledore. As for Harry's connection, I am not sure yet if distance will affect it.

Once again, sorry about the crappy chapter, but I gotta go pack now.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter, nor was I the one to screw up the sixth book. Don't blame me.

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_"One last thing, Harry. We have taken the liberty of collecting several objects and tomes from both the Potter and Black vaults that we believe will come in handy on your journey. I suggest you take a close look at the contents and put them to good use." he said, while gesturing to large but plain trunk that was set next to the door._

_Harry stood, pulling Nymphadora up with him. He once again bowed deeply, "Thank you very much Master Snottrag. May gold fill your coffers."_

_Snottrag also stood and bowed just as deeply to Harry, "It is my pleasure Mr. Potter. May gold fill your coffers."  
_

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Harry gripped Nymohadora's hand and turned to to door, pulling her with along.

"Oh, Mr. Potter?"

Harry turned to Snottrag with a questioning look, "Yes?"

"You wouldn't happen to remember the Goblin that escorted you to your vault your first visit, would you?"

"Griphook?"

Snottrag gave Harry a feral grin, "Ah yes, Mr. Potter. You have just won me a great deal of money. Not many thought that you would remember. Thank you."

Harry just shrugged his shoulders, "Anytime." Once outside the office, Harry asked their escort if there was a spare office that they could use of a few minutes. The goblin replied in the positive and led them down a few corridors to an empty but well furnish office, closing the door and standing outside once Harry and Tonks entered. Harry turned to Tonks, looking slightly concerned. "How are you feeling Dora? Do you need a few minutes here?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just need a few to pull myself together, you know." she said, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths to steady herself. "How can you do it? You didn't even blink when he brought up Sirius and your parents?"

"Dora, I hardly even knew Sirius. The first week I was devastated, I couldn't believe he was gone and that it was my fault. But when I was laying in that bed, I realized that I hardly even knew him. A few letters here and there, a conversation or two, but that's it. It felt like we were so close, like I had know him forever, but now I realize just know little I knew about him. I was just using him as the father figure I've lacked my entire life. It still hurts that he is gone, no amount of self analysis could take that away, but its manageable now. Besides, if I let each and every death get to me, we are going to be in a world of trouble. Many people that I am much closer to will die at Voldemorts hand before its my turn." Harry explained with a shrug. In an attempt to lighten the mood, he added "Besides, I was still in complete shock about the ridicules amount of money I was just handed." laughed Harry.

"Harry!"

"Yes?"

"I swore to you, I am not going to let him get you, and if you say that again, you will wish you had never been born!" she growled while raising her wand menacingly.

"Woah now, no need to get your knickers in a twist!" Laughed Harry while raising his hands to defend himself. "I'll stop, just put that thing away, ok?"

Nymphadora shot him a glare and slid the wand back to wherever she kept it hidden. "Good." As her mood seemed to have improved vastly, Harry decided that it was time to get down to the business at hand, mainly selecting their first refuge.

Dumping the file onto the rooms empty desk, Harry asked, "So, where do we go from here?"

"I want to hole up for a couple days while we work on your physical condition, which reminds me, you need to have another one of these." She tossed him another MRE and Harry groaned, he was still full from the last one. "So I think I want somewhere close, so I can get help if something goes wrong."

Harry agreed and they set to work looking through the properties listed in the folder. They ended up picking a property just outside of Diagon ally in muggle London, a small apartment just above a shop. They packed the folder in the truck and set off. The apartment was in obvious disuse, but with a little cleaning, some transfiguration, and a few well placed rodent repelling charms it was made livable, at least for a couple of days.

Nymphadora started Harry off on the nutrient potions that same day, explaining that the next morning he would be taking the aging potion, and then the muscle developing potion. Much to Harry's dismay, Tonks forced him to sit and sort the books the Goblins had packed for them. While he would not have minded normally, the potions he had taken gave him an incredible energy burst and he felt like running, jumping, and maybe even rolling around for a bit. Anything so long as it involved movement, lots of movement. Several hours later and with a lot of fidgeting, Harry had sorted out several books that he wanted to study in-depth. The first, "Rituals, Rites, and Sacrifices: A Guide" was mostly theory on the many different types of, you guessed it, rituals, rites, and sacrifices. Even during his brief look at the book, Harry had learned several concepts previously unknown to him. He learned that sacrifices always require something to be given: whether it be an object, an animal, or a piece of yourself. A piece of the sacrifice is given to the caster, granting certain characteristics or abilities. He also learned that all rituals have a "self cost," something that would be taken from him in order to power the magic of the ritual. As with sacrifices, the cost of the ritual could very immensely, and should be studied in depth before any attempt to cast them.

Harry also set aside a book on runic body modification. The addition of runes in the form of tattoos, or in some cases cuts, to certain body parts could have drastic effects on the body, and the book contained many such examples.

He wound up staying up through much of the night, studying the books he had set aside and taking notes on the different subjects, often writing down rituals and sacrifices that he wanted to study for possible use. He was a little wary of rituals, he wasn't sure he liked the idea of giving up a part of himself, especially since the actual 'cost' was rarely listed. He also took note of several 'runic modifications' as the book called them. As far as he could tell, these had very few negative aspects, and aside from a little pain it was a great way to gain physical power or magical focus. _"I can handle pain__, and how bad could it possibly be compared to a crucio anyways?" _he thought. He could not for the life of him understand why the wizarding world had outlawed so many of the _mostly _harmless thing he came across in his studies.

Nymphadora also spent a better part of the night awake, working out his exact dosage of aging potion. She would occasionally come over and measure some random part of his body, and Harry had to wonder just why the exact weight of his pinky toe would matter in the slightest. He wondered because she had actually removed it in a rather rough fashion in order to get an accurate measurement, but she did reattach it after a few minutes. Finally, just a few hours before sunrise, the high he had from the nutrient potions wore off and he collapsed into bed, feeling completely exhausted. It seemed like he had just closed his eyes when he felt himself being shaken awake.

"Its time"

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The man lay naked upon the floor, feet together and arms held out at his side, palms up. He lay in the center of a circle carved into the floor, ruins scribed at pre-calculated positions on the outside. Four candles lit the room, one at his feet, one just past the tips of his extended fingers, and one above his head. His improved body was still strange to him. He was slightly taller had gained quite a bit of weight. Now, rather than simply being skinny, he had a lanky, wiry strength. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths in preparation. A person, dressed in a black robe with the hood up, entered the room and began to chant, her soft, feminin voice seemed to fade in and out of his hearing. She pulled a rune engraved knife from the folds of the robe, and it glinted in the candle light as she lowered it to his chest, bring the tip to rest on his right breast. She continued her chant and the man's eyes snapped open and he sucked in a breath as she drug the blade a few inches down his chest. Rather than slicing its way through his skin, this blade seemed to burn, cauterizing the flesh as it cut. The acrid smell of burning flesh rose from his chest in small wisps of smoke. The man gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut as she lifted the blade and repositioned it, adding to the rune being drawn on his chest. After several minutes of intricate carving, the woman repositioned the blade and began to carve on his left breast, uttering the chant all the while. After finishing his left breast, she moved to his inner biceps, the inner forearms, and then the palms of his hands, carving the same rune the entire time. It required all of mans will to keep from ripping his hand out from under the hot blade while she carved into his palm, his body began to shine in the candle light as his skin wept salty sweat. After the hands, she set to work on his stomach, cutting just below the navel and worked her way down. Thighs, shins, and the top of each foot received a rune.

By then, the room reeked of burnt flesh and light smoke hung in the air. When she finished the rune on his left foot, the man gathered what was left of his strength and shakily turned over, so that he was laying on his stomach with his arms extended out as before, palms down. Even moving that little bit was absolutely agonizing. His burnt flesh, taunt and dry, cracked and split with each movement. Small rivets of blood flowed from the freshly opened wounds. As soon as he settled himself, the woman resumed her chant and began carving again, starting on his right shoulder blade, then the left. She moved out to his arms, carving new runes opposite of the old, starting with his outer bicep. After the arms, she places a rune at the small of his back and then worked her way down his legs. The man let out a deep sigh of relief when she finished the pads of his feet, _'Just one more'. _The day figure that was the woman moved up and sat on his back, causing the cuts on his chest an stomach to burn as they were pressed into the ground. She cut a small circle into the back of his neck, and around the circle placed four new runes. As she finished the last drawing, her chanting reached a forte, her voice cracked and dry from nearly an hour of continues talk. She placed the tip of the dagger in the center of the circle she had carved, and with a quick pull, cut a deep gash through the circle and lower rune. The man cried out as all the runes carved into his skin burned with an intensity he had never known was possible. After what seemed like an eternity, the pain stopped and his body was flooded with a cooling sensation. He sighed in relief, it was finally over.

With shaking hands, he turned himself over onto his back as raised a hand in front of his face to examine. There, carved into his palm was a black rune, to grant his body strength. It would harness some of his bodies emanating magic and channel it into his muscles. He was glad it was black too, unless someone looked closely it would just resemble a tattoo and, hopefully wouldn't notice that it was actually carved into his flesh. He was woken from his reverie by the sound of the woman, who had dropped the dagger after the last cut. She had apparently crawled away from him and was now on all fours, dry-heaving, with tears streaming down her face. He remembered how much she had protested doing this, and he could now see why. It had been far harder on her, mentally at least, to carve those lines into his skin with the burning hot blade than it had been on him. Not trusting his still shaky legs, the man pushed himself up and crawled over to her, gently placing a hand on her back. Vomit spattered the ground as she jumped slightly to his touch. He rubbed her back and spoke softly to her as she continued to vomit through her sobs. When it seemed as if she had finished, vomiting at least, he pulled her up against him spoke to her.

"Nymphadora, its all right, were fine now." he whispered. "Its all over. I'm sorry that I asked you to do that, if I had known it was going to be that bad for you, I would have never asked it of you. Thank you for finishing it, I know it must have been hard. It was hard for me too."

Nymphadora's only reply was to bury her head into his bare chest and continue sobbing, seemingly ignorant of the lingering smell of burnt flesh emanating from his cuts. Harry sighed, leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, promptly falling asleep. Dora cried herself to sleep soon afterwards, it had been a long night for both of them.

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Ok everybody, sorry about the long wait on this chapter. I'm back at college and things have settled down. I had a very hard time writing this chapter, and I am not very happy with the way it turned out. I really wanted the addition of Harry's runes to be a powerful scene, but it didn't seem to want to come out that way, and I re-wrote the whole chapter several times. It wasn't getting any better, and its been over a month since my last update, so I said fuck it. However, my hand were not entirely idle this month. I did get one future chapter done, and another almost finished. I am very excited about those chapters and can't wait until the story reaches a point where I can post them. Anyways, here is the best I could do, let me know what you think.

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Edit: I keep forgeting to ask the readers for your thoughts on several ideas. I would love to hear from you on these.

Harry a metamorph? The potential is there, and it would help advance Harry and Dora's relationship, something that I am having a lot of trouble doing in a believable manner. On the other hand, I hate to do the same old crap that everyone else does. If I were to write Harry as a metamorph, he would have fairly limited ability, just hair, maybe some soft tissues. Stuff like that. Next!

Animagus abilities? If anyone says "HAHA, do a Dark Phenix!" I am going to find out where you live and break your figures so that you will never use a mouse again. Harry will not be a magical animal, he will not be a lion, he will not be an owl, he will not be any of that BS. As I cannot forsee him doing anything usefull with his abilities, it would be done souly for our entertainment. I am thinking maybe a duck.

Lastly, I have a terrible nagging feeling that I have started something in a previous chapter and forgot about it entirly. It wouldn't be anything huge (at least I hope not), and its probably due to my tendancy to give you the actual event, then explain what actualy lead up to and happened after that event at a later date. If anyone sees anything they think I may have forgotten about, please inform me.

Ok, I know I have forgotten to mention something, but fuck it! A little hint of thing to come. Things are going to get decidely worse for Harry in the next few chapters, and then we will get into the really exciting stuff (I told you it was little). I cant wait. The next chapter is well under way and should be up in a few days. Toodles!

PS- big thanks to _marka_ for your many reviews. You should be getting an update on Egypt next chapter :)

Also, thank you _Just Me Prime_ for the words of encouragement.


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